Surprising Math

[Jacktheknife]

Pretty much the same here.

With the way alliant charges, that pretty close to what i jotted down on my lobster bib.

 

[rideau]

To buy a cord here, the going rate is $200. So if I got 12 cords for free, that's $2400 I didn't have to spend.

And if the 12 cords last 3 years, and I don't burn any oil for 3 years, that's $12,000 I didn't have to spend.

So $12,000 in oil savings. Also, $2400 I didn't have to spend on wood to replace the oil. $14,500.

But I'll give you that I might burn $1,000 worth of oil per year. So I'll adjust down to $3,000 per year X 3 years=$9,000 plus the wood savings of $2400.

Either way that's over $10,000 sitting there.

And I don't use a chain saw, I pick up all wood on my way home from work, so minimum gas money spent, and I do this for exercise each night, so I'm also saving in gym membership and no wasted free time.

I'll even throw in the cost of medical bills when I reverse my type II diabetes and cholesterol issues from daily exercise.

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Of course the savings may be offset from the fines from the village for having a hoarders wood dump on my front lawn and of course the divorce attorney and child support if I don't get my habit under control...

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You would have spent $4000 on oil. No matter how much you reduce your cost by using an alternative energy form, you cannot reduce your savings beyond your cost to heat with oil - $4000 per year (or more if the cost of oil goes up, of course). What you can do is reduce your cost from burning with wood (using your math which does not account for any ancillary or capital costs) from $800 per year to zero, thus changing your savings from $3200 per year to $4000 per year.

 

[rideau]

I figure each cord of wood saves me $700 in oil. This is based on actual tracking of wood and oil usage. I get my wood for "free", and before anyone points out fuel and equipment costs, realize that this is saving me the cost of a gym membership and that I enjoy collecting and processing the wood!

I have two 3.0 cu.ft. Stoves, so I could rip thru 6-8 cords per year, but I've only budgeted stacking space for three years at 5.5 cords per year. We'll see how that works out...

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Interesting to me that this is your experience in real life. I switched from electric to wood. Have done the math many times. I have found that straight BTU comparison just isn't valid in my home. In real life, I use many fewer BTUs burning with wood to keep my home comfortably warm, that I use heating with electric. So, my savings are significantly greater than multiplying cords burned by cost per cord compared to same number of BTUs produced by electricity.

Oil may well correlate more equably.

I pay for a new stove in one season with energy savings. And I'm a lot more comfortable. And I love the stove. And even enjoy most of the wood gathering process. Now if I could just get rid of the ticks in the woods....

By the way, a spray of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water on myself and on my dog have kept him tick free and me with one attached tick so far this season. I have been careful, not so much the dog.

 

[Applesister]

what if you get "paid" to gather your firewood? Adds a whole other factor to the equation, eh?

Yeah...go one further and write off all your overhead as a business expense. But save your bar napkins...just in case.

 

[Ashful]

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Interesting to me that this is your experience in real life. I switched from electric to wood. Have done the math many times. I have found that straight BTU comparison just isn't valid in my home. In real life, I use many fewer BTUs burning with wood to keep my home comfortably warm, that I use heating with electric. So, my savings are significantly greater than multiplying cords burned by cost per cord compared to same number of BTUs produced by electricity.

Oil may well correlate more equably.

Probably not! I was not using BTU's but actual cords burned and dollars reduction in oil usage per heating degree days. I was not accurate in my statement though. Looking back, I used about 4.3 cords, and saved $2800 in oil (scaled to normalize degree days to average year), so I figure $651 per cord.

One big problem with trying to calculate on BTUs is that most people don't keep their oil furnace going all night to keep the house above 70F, but this is pretty standard behavior when heating with wood.

 

[JP11]

One big problem with trying to calculate on BTUs is that most people don't keep their oil furnace going all night to keep the house above 70F, but this is pretty standard behavior when heating with wood.

I put an hour meter on the oil boiler for a year before I installed the wood boiler.

I KNOW I saved a lot of money. I also know that I decided that 70 degrees in the basement with the radiant floor nice and toasty was MUCH nicer than 66 the year prior on oil.

JP

 

[bogydave]

You forgot to add in the the wood is "Tax Free"
Even more savings.

The "Priceless " things :
Add in the "fun" element. & it gets better yet.
Getting to buy some new toys (tools) now & then (another benefit)
The good feeling you get when you look at the nice big stacks of wood. (that's gotta count for something )



A cord of birch here is $250.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I saved enough last year to buy a six pack.

 

[NortheastAl]

I saved enough last year to buy a six pack.

An honest man.

 

[NortheastAl]

Just figured out I spent $3400 in napkins...

 

[MasterMech]

The only way you will save money burning wood is to spend whatever it costs to have it cut split and stacked in your driveway.

 

[StuckInTheMuck]

Just figured out I spent $3400 in napkins...

Uhhhhhhh, I don't understand how much $3400 in napkins is.. Is there a conversion to face cords? How many BTU's are in a face cord of napkins? So you really didn't "spend" $3400 on napkins as long as you run them through the Endeavor.

 

[rdust]

Uhhhhhhh, I don't understand how much $3400 in napkins is.. Is there a conversion to face cords? How many BTU's are in a face cord of napkins? So you really didn't "spend" $3400 on napkins as long as you run them through the Endeavor.

What is this face cord you speak of?

 

[rdust]

After my second winter here and spending 4K on Propain I started heating with wood. I've bought saws, a trailer, a diesel truck, oil, gas, two stoves, a splitter, had to install a liner in the chimney even had back surgery in 2011! I don't think I've saved a dime heating with wood but it's been a lot more fun than watching the Pain man pull up and fill the tank. I enjoy almost every aspect of this hobby, I really dislike stacking wood though.

All joking aside I do save money, I don't really look at that aspect of it anymore.

 

[HDRock]

I really dislike stacking wood though.

I don't like it much ether

 

[Augie]

So my Stove and Class A pipe was 3250, but I did some work for a buddy who owns a stove shop to trade for the stove, but I would have dont the favor for him anyway so Stove cost was $0.00, Chain saw and Maul came from Dads old stuff $0.00, Dropping my Gym Membership saves $60.00/month($720.00 first year), I scrounge wood $0.00, Gas for transportation and the saw maybe $200.00. I have natural gas and usually spend abut $175.00 per month keeping the house warm in the winter($1050.00) So My first year savings are $1770.00. I Have about 2 years wood on hand so Im guessing $200 per year in variable cost, so I think ill be saving around $1500.00/year

This isn't the real story though. I am staying in shape, House is warmer than usual, dog like the fire and being in the woods/outside when Im processing/cutting. I enjoy it, keeps me in a good mood, helping the environment a little bit, Id say that is hard to put a true price on.

My happiness is worth Millions of dollars.

 

[HDRock]

I don't think I saved any $$ starting out last year, BUT, I was a lot warmer, Before burning wood ,If I had kept the thermostat at 78 ,It would cost a lot more for gas.
I will be saving quite a bit this winter though, and will be nice n toasty

 

[KaptJaq]

Pre-stove my house used between 800 and 1,000 gallons of oil. Current delivered price is about $3.75/gallon. Last 2 years we have used just about 200 gallons for DHW. That is a savings of about 600 gallons/year. All my wood is scrounged so the cost is my time, labor, tools, & gas. Since I spent time processing the wood I did not have time for the gym (or the need for it either) so I can add the membership fees to my savings. That makes the 4-5 cords of wood we burn each season worth about $2,500 (the price of the oil we don't burn) or $500/cord. I figure it takes me about 5 or 6 hours to scrounge, split, and stack a cord so I am earning about $100/hr while I am processing the wood.

I don't know if you guys believe the above numbers but the wife does. She leaves me alone while I am out working on the wood pile and does not remind me about the "honey-do" list. She also appreciates that working on the wood pile works off the adult beverages I enjoy in front of the stove.

KaptJaq

 

[teutonicking]

I just did some rough calculations.

At the going rate of $200 per cord:

My 12 free cords saved me $2400.

And it cost me $4000 in oil last year to heat the house.

If the 12 cords last me 3 years, that's up to $12,000 in oil savings.

For a total savings of $15,000.

I have near $15,000 sitting in my yard right now.



Anyone else add up their savings?

Hydraulic wood splitter: $950
Progress Hybrid Stove: $2400
Stihl Chainsaw: $550

Turning my least favorite season into my most favorite season of the year: Priceless

 

[Ashful]

I saved enough last year to buy a six pack.

What he's not telling you is he meant a six pack of Stihl saws.

 

[pyroholic]

Hydraulic wood splitter: $950
Progress Hybrid Stove: $2400
Stihl Chainsaw: $550

Turning my least favorite season into my most favorite season of the year: Priceless

Oh man... That pretty much says it all!

 

[Jacktheknife]

What he's not telling you is he meant a six pack of Stihl saws.

I have bought a six pack of the 2 cycle oil, but not saws. Since I brought it up and this is a thread about saving money, does anyone know where I can get the gallon jugs of the stihl 2 cycle oil so I can refill my singles?

 

[Ashful]

... does anyone know where I can get the gallon jugs of the stihl 2 cycle oil so I can refill my singles?

Gallon of 2-stroke oil? How much sawing you doin', man? Member smokinj buys his 2-stroke in gallons, and I imagine he'll tell you any pro saw shop carries it in gallons, but... damn!

 

[Jacktheknife]

Gallon of 2-stroke oil? How much sawing you doin', man? Member smokinj buys his 2-stroke in gallons, and I imagine he'll tell you any pro saw shop carries it in gallons, but... damn!

I just like buying in bulk. Got 80 lbs of flour in the basement. I like the convenience of the small bottles, but price of the larger jugs should be cost effective. But my two most local dealers don't carry it.

 

[osagebow]

I figure each cord saves me about $150 in electricity, for now. Sure that's going up.

I figured the Beav would be an Apple kinda guy.